Patriots Beat: Morris a perfect fit

Thursday

Sep 27, 2007 at 12:01 AMSep 27, 2007 at 7:48 PM

FOXBORO - His signing slipped under the radar, lost amid the acquisitions of high-profile wideouts Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth this offseason. But Sammy Morris has quietly made quite an impact on the Patriots offense.

Douglas Flynn/Daily News staff

His signing slipped under the radar, lost amid the acquisitions of high-profile wideouts Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth this offseason.

But Sammy Morris has quietly made quite an impact on the Patriots offense in the early stages of the season.

With the release of Corey Dillon in March, one of biggest question marks going into the year was whether second-year running back Laurence Maroney would be capable of carrying the rushing load himself.

Turns out, he hasn't had to. While Maroney has done the bulk of the running (54 carries for 252 yards), Morris has proven more than capable of spelling him when needed.

"We're three games into the season, I think we've come to know what to expect of each other," said Morris, an eighth-year pro out of Texas Tech. "I can tell when he might need a rest during his series. I think we're meshing well."

Morris has 151 yards himself on 33 carries. His 4.6 yards-per-rush average is virtually identical to Maroney's 4.7, as the Pats have shown little dropoff in the running game when Morris lines up behind Tom Brady.

"Sammy has done a great job for us," said coach Bill Belichick, whose club puts its 3-0 record on the line at Cincinnati on Monday night. "He gets asked to do a lot of different things and he does them and he does them right. He's versatile, smart, a tough kid, plays strong, has some speed and quickness to be able to play in the kicking game, play on third down, be a receiver. ... He's a good player."

Belichick should know. He's been on the wrong sideline for most of Morris' best days. Morris' personal highs in rushes, rushing yards, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns have all come against the Patriots, as he ran for 123 yards on 25 carries last December and hauled in six catches for 46 yards and ran for two scores in 2004, both performances coming while he was with the Dolphins.

Morris' individual success in those games may have helped Belichick decide to go after the free agent running back in March, but it was New England's team success that made Morris choose the Pats over several other suitors.

"It just seemed like the best fit," said Morris, who stated that the Chiefs, Vikings and "a couple others" were interested in signing him. "They have a team-first mentality here that fits what I am as a person and as a player as well."

Morris the player has always been about the team. He's spent most of his career as a backup, starting just 23 of the 97 games he's played, but he's produced when he's had the chance (407 carries, 1,620 yards, 16 TDs).

"I just haven't had an opportunity or gotten a lot of notoriety like other guys," said Morris. "And that's fine. I know what I'm capable of."

Others are learning too. Spelling Maroney, he rushed for 54 yards against the Jets, 51 and a score vs. San Diego and another 46 and a score against the Bills.

"Sammy's been a surprise for everybody," said Brady. "I think he's done everything we've asked him to do. He's very powerful and explosive. He reads the field very well and as a back he catches the ball very well. He's a threat in the passing game. He's a threat running the ball. He's been a great addition."

Morris has also become a key contributor in the red-zone, having scored two of New England's three rushing TDs (fullback Heath Evans has the other).

"He's got a knack for the goal line," said Brady. "There doesn't need to be much room there for him to make yardage. He's powerful enough to move the pile. He just kind of bores (his head) in there and finds a way to come away with positive yardage. He's always falling forward too. He's got a great attitude."

That attitude shines through when he gets modest describing his nose for the end zone.

"I don't know what to chalk that up to," said Morris. "There's not a lot of moves you can make down there. You just have to make a decision and go."

With Morris and Maroney, who's coming off his second career 100-yard game last week, the Pats' running game is going at full speed. They rank first in the NFL in rushing first downs (33), third in rushing attempts per game (35.7) and total rushes (107) and fourth in rushing yards per game (151.7) and total rushing yards (455).

Those numbers are all well ahead of last year's pace, when Maroney and Dillon helped the Pats produce 123.1 yards a game on the ground (12th in the league) and 121 rushing first downs for the entire season.

"The coaches put us in position to do what we do well," said Morris. "I just focus on what I've got to do when my number is called."

Both Morris and Maroney are likely to get their numbers called frequently Monday night. Last year, the Pats rolled up 236 yards and three TDs on the ground in a 38-13 Week 4 win in Cincinnati as Maroney had his best day as a pro with 125 yards rushing and two scores.

"We had a bunch of big runs last year," said Brady. "That was probably Laurence's best game to date. That's a key every week to really keep the defense off balance. When you can break off some long runs like we did, it takes a lot of pressure off the passing game."

The Bengals are again susceptible to the run this year, currently ranking 27th in the league in rushing yards allowed (145 per game). Long, sustained drives on the ground not only can produce points, but would also keep Cincinnati's explosive offense off the field.

"That was a big point of emphasis going into last year's game," said Brady. "Especially when you're facing an offense like we're facing with so many weapons. It can really control the tempo and style of the game. ... With the way their offense can put up points in a hurry, you want to be able to control the clock and control the tempo."

(Douglas Flynn is a Daily News staff writer. He can be reached at 508-626-4405 or dflynn@cnc.com.)